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Belgen Gunther
Belgen Gunther is Welkin's late father, widely regarded as a great hero for his contributions to preserving Gallia's independence during the First Europan War. During Valkyria Chronicles, ''he is only metioned in the Personnel files, but no picture of him is ever shown. Profile 'Valkyria Chronicles''' Born on a ranch in the small town of Bruhl , Belgen spent most of his childhood caring for the animals on the ranch, his favorite animal being the sheep. During his time at the military academy, Belgen was at the top of his class for vehicle operation training and tactics. His seemingly natural knack for tactics was a result of his childhood hobby of chess. One day, Belgen met a woman through a rather dramatic encounter, and it wasn't long before he realized that this woman was the love of his life. The two were soon married, and their peaceful life together was blessed with a son, whom they named Welkin. When the conflict of EWI reached past Gallia's borders, the chaos consumed many innocent lives, including that of Belgen's beloved wife. Belgen was not even granted time to grieve, as he had to immediately depart to do his part in the war as a military officer, leaving Welkin in the care of Martha Lipponen. Belgen used the skills he had learned in the military academy well, claiming many victories for the Gallian forces. He was one of the first men in Gallia to fully understand the concept of the "tank", a war vehicle that had slowly been increasing in popularity among the Empire and other countries. He used this knowledge and his courage when facing the enemy, and from the resulting battles, none would have guessed that Gallia was severely outmatched by the forces of the enemy nations. For being a key figure in defending Gallia's independence, Belgen was awarded with the title "Hero of Gallia." Though he succeeding in saving the lives of countless Gallians, Belgen's heart and mind were deeply troubled by the fact he had not been able to protect the woman he cared for the most. After the war, Belgen was ordered by his superiors to aid in the development of tanks for Gallia, which was to be a joint effort between the military and a state-owned weapons manufacturing company. It was during this project that Belgen met Theimer, the Darcsen who would eventually become his best friend. Ever since he had lost his wife, Belgen had been trying to cope with his grief by becoming increasingly hard on himself, but his encounter with Theimer changed the way he viewed his life forever. Being a Darcsen, Theimer has suffered unjust persecution for his entire life, yet he had never forgotten how to be kind to others, nor has he lost his pride as an engineer. The more he got to know Theimer, the more Belgen came to respect this young man. With Belgen experience and Theimer's knowledge leading the way, Edelweiss was created with a brand new ragnite engine. At the time Edelweiss boasted higher firepower, defenses and mobility than any other tank in the world. Unfortunately, they were not granted permission to produce more tanks due to the debilitation costs associated with manufacturing such weapons of war. Since the war was already over, Edelweiss never got a chance to see real battle, and was instead stored in the Gunther Household's garage. Belgen has slowly been recovering from his emotional pain thanks to his new best friend, but a tragic accident suddenly claimed the lives of both Theimer and his wife. The shock of losing his close friend after they had both survived a war almost sent Belgen into a dark spiral again. Isara was the one who kept Belgen from the brink, as he knew the young girl would need to be cared for. Taking Theimer's daughter as his own, Belgen chose to retire from the military so that he could lead a quiet life in Bruhl with the children. Belgen was called back to the battle once more after that, for a minor skirmish with Imperial forces at the border, but he returned home safely only to be stricken down with a grievous illness. Welkin was only 13 years old when the illness finally claimed his father's life at the age of 39. Personality and Characteristics Always strict with himself, yet kind towards others, Belgen carried himself with the confident pride of a true military man. He knew better than most how severe and unforgiving a war could be, and he had made up his mind to do what he could to protect Gallia. Belgen also had the strength to ignore common prejudices practiced by common folks, and he always treated everyone as equals, including the Darcsens. When he adopted Isara into his family, Belgen provided her with enough love to make her feel like she was truly a member of the family. Belgen's parenting philosophy dictated that his children had the right to make their own decisions, so he never forced his hopes or belief upon them. Welkin's ability to see the world with his own eyes without allowing common prejudices to sway him is no doubt something he learned from his father. Trivia *A road in Bruhl was named after Belgen Gunther, presumably after he became a war hero. Category:Characters Category:Valkyria Chronicles Characters Category:Backstory